Display case



April 23, 1957 F. T. KING ET AL 2,789,700

DISPLAY CASE Filed Jan. 12, 1955 I5 Sheets-Sheet l April 23, 1957 F. T. KING ET AL 2,789,700

DISPLAY CASE Filed Jan. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 23, 1957 F. T. KING ET AL DISPLAY CASE 3 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Jan. 12, 1955 I Hlllu.

JMHmmWHHM United States Patent O DISPLAY CASE Fred T. King, Mount Kisco, N. Y., and Eugene J. Casey,

Stamford, Conn., assignors to American Chicle Comgany, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New ersey Application January 12, 1955, Serial No. 481,408

Claims. (Cl. 211-137) The object of the present invention is to provide a display case which may be economically manufactured, quickly assembled, which will enable lateral adjustment for increase or decrease in the eflective length of the shelves embodied in the case and which will have durability.

The display case in the present invention is particularly desirable for the display of carton confections such as chewing gum and the like wherein it is desired that different brands of the carton products or different flavors thereof characterized by their separate carton colorations, be attractively displayed.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a reverse perspective view looking at the case toward the bottom thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the structure of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal view showing one of a pair of interengaged transverse struts as shown in Fig. 2 and the manner in which it is secured to a side wall of the case by a bracket member; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the bracket of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the display case consists of two side members 1, each member carrying inwardly projecting relatively short step plates 2. These plates are releasably tied together by the following elements: The upright rear member of each step plate receives fastening elements 3 which project through slots 4 in a connecting strut 5. The front connection for the side 1 is thus shown in Fig. 2. It consists of two connecting struts 6 and 6x which are slotted and adjustably held by one or more fastening members 7. At their back area the side members I carry connecting struts 8 and 8x which are adjustably held in connection by a fastening member 9. The front wall 10 of the display case is formed with upper and lower flanges 11, said flanges be ing slidingly held on short upright front extensions 13, one for each side member of the case and fixed thereto.

The display case has a bottom wall 14 which may carry resilient foot stubs 15.

Laid upon the step shelf supporting members 2 are a plurality of shelf members 16, 16x. All of these members except shelf member 16x is generally V-shaped in configuration and in addition is formed with a rearward flange which lies under the shelf member rearwardly thereof as more particularly shown in Fig. 3.

The shelf members 16, 16x are adjustably tied to the shelf supporting member 2 by snap in connections made 'ice of wire. To this end each shelf member 16 is formed near its ends with apertures to receive the loop ends 17x of snap connectors 17, the formation of which is best shown in Fig. 5, and which are snapped into slots at 2x in the shelf supporting members 2, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. The snap connectors are held onto the shelf member 16 in the manner shown in Fig. 6, the metal of the shelf being formed with U- shaped cuts 27 and then bent inwardly over the appropriate snap connection, the bends of the metal being indicated at 19.

It is desirable that the strut members 8, 8X be detachable from the side wall, so that when the leaves 16 are removed from the step plates and the fastenings 7 and 9 detached, the device may be disassembled and the only projecting members on the side 1 will be the step plates and equivalent members 13 at the front of the display case. To this end the strut sections are connected to the side members of the case by the means shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

-In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a bracket 20 having wings 21 welded to the appropriate side wall the bracket having a lower V-formation 22 above which is a recess at 20x having an upper wall 23 in each of the spaced wings of said wing formation, as indicated in Fig. 8. These wings of the V-formation are springy so that the appropriate end of one of the strut sections 6, 6X or 8, 8X may be frictionally forced into the recess and firmly held by the bracket to the appropriate side wall.

In disassembling the case, the connectors 3, 7 and 9 are removed, the strut sections are disengaged from their brackets, the shelf members detach from the step plates by pulling the snap connector out of the slot in the step plate, whereupon the sides with their step plates may be moved away from the members 5 and 10, and the detached part may be packaged in relatively small compass for shipment or storage. In assembling the elements of the case, reverse steps are taken, which will be understood without further explanation.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a display case side members gradually reduced in depth toward the front ends thereof, each side member fixedly carrying at its inner face a step strip providing shelf support, sectional and intersliding struts normally connecting the side members and lying under the step strips when the case is assembled, shelf members supported upon the step strips, detachable fastening means between the shelf members and the step strips, consisting of snap-in connectors extending through apertures in the shelves and the step strips and being slidable in the said apertures of one of the last named two elements, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a display case, side members gradually reduced in depth toward the front ends thereof, each side member fixedly carrying at its inner face a step strip providing shelf support, sectional and intersliding struts normally connecting the side members and lying under the step strips when the case is assembled, shelf members supported upon the step strips, the step strip having slotted peaks, and snap-in connectors carried by the shelf member and consisting of looped wire elements having loops ends entering apertures in the shelf members and springy deformed wire extensions snapped into the slots of the step strips. I

3. In a display case, side members gradually reduced in depth toward the front ends thereof, each side member fixedly carrying at its inner face a step strip providing 3 shelf support, sectional and intersliding; strutsnormally connecting the side members and lying under the step strips when the case is assembled, shelf members supported upon the step strips, detachable fastening means between the shelf members and the step strips, and springy bracket members carried by the side members and. projecting inwardly therefrom, each said. bracket, consist-.- ing of a lower horizontally disposed V-shaped section, having horizontal legs and an upper section alined'with each leg of said V-shaped section, said bracket acting; to detachably grip and hold the sectional struts between said upper and lower bracket. sections.

4. In a display case, side members, a step strip. carried at the inner face of the side member, sectional and inter sliding struts normally connecting the side members,

means detachably holding the sectional struts to the; side members, shelf members slidably supported at their ends upon the shelf strips, detachable fastening means between the shelf members and the shelf strips, spaced front wall members, one carried by each ofthe side. 20

members and projected inwardly, and a front plate slidingly connected to said front members and detachable, therefrom.

5. In a display case, side members, a step strip carried 1 at the inner face of the side member, sectional and intersliding struts normally connecting the side members,

means detachably holding the sectional struts to the side members, shelf members supported upon the shelf strips, detachable fastening means between the shelf members and the shelf strips, spaced front wall members, one carried by each of the side members and projected inwardly, a front plate slidingly connected to said front members and detachable therefrom, said detachable fastening means, consisting, in each case, of a looped wire,

the legs of the wire being deformed and. as to the ap*' propriate shelf member and shelf strip, the loop. of the wire being held in an aperture, formed. in one of, said-two members, and the deformed wire ends being snapped into a slot of the second, member, as, and for the purpose set 

